I'm puzzled by these complaints about combativeness on SN. Sure there's lots of it on PRWG and I really enjoy that hashing & bashing. I rarely find it in the sailing forums though and even there it seldom seems to be more than someone expressing frustration with repeated questions that have been answered numerous times.

Recently there were THREE threads going on gelcoat repairs - people need to do a little exploring on their own sometimes.

I have found the wealth of experience available here to be invaluable a number of times and I also enjoy being able to share what I've learned with others so they don't have to learn things the hard way.

I sure find SN to be a lot more civilized and adult than SA for example.

__________________
I, myself, personally intend to continue being outspoken and opinionated, intolerant of all fanatics, fools and ignoramuses, deeply suspicious of all those who have "found the answer" and on my bad days, downright rude.

You bought a Catalina??? Was wondering when you would come around. I haver no prob, given your awesome contributions here, to changing your name to CatalinaMan. Want me to go ahead and make the change??

Wicked, wicked, man. No Catalina in my immediate future, but I have great respect and admiration for the brand. My dad owned three (22, 27, 30) and I worked for 2 dealers in NJ many years ago. When we were considering our current boat, I looked seriously at a Catalina 36. You won't see me disparage a Catalina, Beneteau, Hunter nearly any other brand (there is really only one manufacturer's boats that I loathe, but that's irrelevant). If it floats, I'm game.

On a more serious note, I'm mystified that some may consider SN to be biased toward larger vessels or more experienced members. I really don't see that. An experienced member may be more emphatic because their experience is often learned through hard knocks but I've never detected an arrogance. Regarding smaller vessels, my wife and I are considering a significant downsize to a sport boat that we can afford to aggressively campaign. So you won't see a bias against small boats from me.

The "I have $1000, no experience, and want to sail around the world" posts can be tedious at times but who am I to quash someone's dream? Like anything else, if they have the drive, they'll achieve the goal. Otherwise, their project boat will eventually come on the market.

I'm curious. Why do you loathe their boats? Do the shrouds pull out of the decks? Does the fiberglass peel off?

Quote:

I'm mystified that some may consider SN to be biased toward larger vessels or more experienced members.

Not necessarily more experienced but definitely towards racing and larger boats.

Quote:

I really don't see that. An experienced member may be more emphatic because their experience is often learned through hard knocks but I've never detected an arrogance.

I've seen people claim that you can't buy a good boat for less than $100,000. That statement is clearly absurd. But perhaps it isn't arrogance; maybe it is just stupidity. Now a person like this might be well versed on larger boats but their breadth of knowledge is much too narrow for the vast majority of sailing.

As for the notion that a larger boat means more experience I also have serious doubts about that. I have posted on boards where members were scared to death to sail out of sight of land but they attributed their requirement to have the largest possible boat under their feet to everything but fear. Others insist on a larger boat because they can't stand being inconvenienced. I'm sorry but being afraid or having to be as comfortable as possible doesn't make someone an expert.

Quote:

Regarding smaller vessels, my wife and I are considering a significant downsize to a sport boat that we can afford to aggressively campaign. So you won't see a bias against small boats from me.

I'm not quite sure what you are calling "small" here but I suspect it isn't what I would call small.

I've seen people claim that you can't buy a good boat for less than $100,000. That statement is clearly absurd. But perhaps it isn't arrogance; maybe it is just stupidity.

Definitely stupidity.

Quote:

Originally Posted by brehm62

As for the notion that a larger boat means more experience I also have serious doubts about that. I have posted on boards where members were scared to death to sail out of sight of land but they attributed their requirement to have the largest possible boat under their feet to everything but fear. Others insist on a larger boat because they can't stand being inconvenienced. I'm sorry but being afraid or having to be as comfortable as possible doesn't make someone an expert.

I'm definitely in the "can't stand being inconvenienced" crowd. Definitely not in the fear crowd.

But I also love to race...it just that I don't mind racing my theoretical big, comfy boat and living with the less than VO70 results. After all, that's why Einstein invented PHRF. And racing is freakin' FUN!

I'd just say you need to worry less about the distinctions and just enjoy the fact that we all like to sail.

And why would sabre buy a catalina.......saw they had a new 315, got sorta exited......saw the floor plan, weight, sa, lack of draft.......went puke..........and said, why can they not design a boat that I might like?!?!?!?!?!?!? They need to take off at least 3000 lbs of that fat boy, add a few more lbs to the keel along with another 12" of draft to be at least 6.5-7'! , about 100# of SA, get rid o that furling main fiasco..........then maybe, just MAYBE, they might have a boat worth getting,,,,,,

enough of my rantings. who's next? alaska, do you have access to some alaska amber? I'll take a bottle or two or three...........

And I haven't posted anything yet because I'm so tired of all 'ur bitchin' and complaining and wiping the eyes while waving "good bye".
Now Brian Jones has dragged me into the pool with him yet again. Mick Jagger couldn't care less. He and Sir Paul can always rent whatever sized boat they need.

To those that think that SN is all about folks that can afford $100K boats and have never sailed their way up the sailing ladder of dinghies, guess again. I'd bet that 30 - 40% of the "old timers" here (those over 50 to you whippersnappers) have sailed their asses off on beach cats, Lasers, Lightnings, Flying Scotts, Melges Scows, even wind surfers etc. To you upstarts I say that having a heavier keel boat is a lot easier to sail than a board sailor and a lot safer for my old, enfeebled brain. So what if my boat only cost me $4K to buy. It has cost me waaay more then that to actually keep it in good working order and bottom painted each year.
I loved sailing my small boats. Still do. They are much more challenging in many ways and teach a lot of lessons a lot faster then a fat old keel boat that I now love and care for.
I still sail on Sunfish. Just because I have access to some and I'm pretty good at it. There is nothing like getting a small Sunfish up on a plane on a broad reach in 15 knots of wind. It is wet, athletic and makes me feel good to do so.
Lots of people can afford bigger, more expensive boats then I can. Do I care or resent them? No way. I like what I have and I don't want to give any of it up.
Little boats rock. Big boats rock a bit less but can easily handle uglier conditions. They are very similar but not at all alike.

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